eat into the river at night and bade
them keep their eyes on the current in the darkness. For a while he
thus supplied them with nutriment without being discovered, but
eventually a jar was dashed against some obstacle and shattered; then
the Carthaginians became aware of what was going on and put chains
across the river. After a number had perished of hunger and of their
wounds, they abandoned one half of the city, cut down the bridge, and
held out in the other half. They now threw turnip seed from the wall
upon a spot outside, doing this in order to alarm the enemy and make
them believe that they were likely to endure for a long time.
Hannibal, indeed, thinking that they must have plenty of food and
astonished at their endurance invited them to capitulate and released
them for money. The Romans outside were glad to ransom them, and more
than that they showed them honor.

IX, 3.--While these events took place the messengers returned from
Delphi saying that the Pythia admonished them to shake off sloth and
devote themselves to the war. Then they were filled with new
strength. They overtook Hannibal and encamped near him so as to watch
his movements. Junius the dictator ordered the Romans to do exactly as
the Carthaginians were commanded to do. So they took their food and
sleep at the same time, visited the sentries in the same manner, and
were doing everything else in similar fashion. When Hannibal
understood the situation, he waited for a stormy night and announced
to some of his soldiers a skirmish for after nightfall. Junius did the
same thing. Thereupon Hannibal ordered different detachments to attack
him in succession at different times in order that his opponent might
be involved in constant labor as a result of sleeplessness and the
storm. He himself rested with the troops not in action. When day was
about to break, he recalled the army, as was expected, and the Romans
put away their weapons and retired to rest; then all of a sudden he
attacked them, with the result that he killed a number and captured
the entrenchments, which were deserted.

Conditions in Sicily and Sardinia grew unsettled but did not receive
any consideration at the hands of the Romans. [Sidenote: B.C. 215
(_a.u._ 539)] The consuls chosen were Gracchus, previously master of
the horse, and Postumius Albinus. Albinus was ambuscaded and destroyed
with his entire army by the Boii as he was traversing a wooded
mountain. The barbarians cut off his